About The Durham Performance Learning Center

Helping Students Succeed at DPLC

DPLC helps high school students who are not succeeding in a traditional high school setting get back on track for graduation. Students are typically referred to the DPLC by school administrators, school counselors, and parents. Once referred, students are contacted by the Enrollment Team at DPLC. New students participate in pre-enrollment reading and math testing as well as orientation and an interview. New students and parents also sign an Enrollment Agreement detailing their understanding of their obligations upon admission.

Our classes are small with a 1:15 teacher student ratio. Small classes allow our teachers to provide the support our students need to complete their online high school courses successfully. As a result, students are able to work at an accelerated pace by retaking previously failed classes and moving forward with new coursework. The PLC offers credit-deficient students a way to obtain credits without losing additional time. DPLC students must successfully pass all required North Carolina courses as well as state mandated final exams in to graduate.

Upon enrollment, students meet with our school counselors to develop a detailed Graduation Plan. Students are also provided an Advisor and participate in Advisory Program that provides non-intructional support and soft skills. Students meet with school counselors every quarter to insure that they remain on track for graduation. Potential graduates meet with school counselors as well as graduation liasions to provide support for graduation and beyond. Additionally, DPLC students receive support from school counselors and school social workers to handle non-instructional issues they may face.

DPLC Background

The Performance Learning Center is a small, non-traditional high school geared toward students who are not succeeding in a traditional school setting. The PLC creates a business-like learning environment where students complete assignments using online, computer-based curriculum with the assistance of licensed classroom teachers. The PLC is a small school model and generally has 150-200 students.

Performance Learning Centers® (PLCs) were developed by Communities In Schools of Georgia, and the first PLC began serving students during the 2002-2003 school year. Today, there are PLCs in in Georgia, Arizona, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington and Virginia thanks to investments from school districts, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, the Nicholson Foundation and others. Communities In Schools of Durham collaborated with Durham Public Schools to open the Durham PLC in 2007-08.

DPLC Creed

We believe that anyone who has an active desire to change his/her circumstance deserves the opportunity to work toward that goal.

We believe that knowledge and success stem from a quality, personal education, the courage to face our fears, our failures, and our past and move beyond them, the ability to see a new path when the one we’re travelling compromises who we are and how we see ourselves, and a resilience that finds us firmly on our feet when we stumble along the way.

We believe that the lessons we learn here are for us in part but for others on the whole.

We believe that anything worth having should be difficult to get.

We believe that positive contributions to our community and school will only breathe more life into all the things we will accomplish.

We believe that our experiences do not dictate who we are or who we will become.

We believe that it is our right to strive for the greatness we know we can achieve.